Kolkata (formerly Calcutta) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River, it is the primary commercial, financial, and educational hub of Eastern India.
Known as the “City of Joy” and the “Cultural Capital of India”, Kolkata has a rich heritage, serving as the capital of the British Indian Empire from 1772 until 1911, when the capital was shifted to New Delhi. The city was the center of the Bengal Renaissance and continues to be famous for its grand colonial architecture, literary cafes, tramways, and deep-seated passion for football, art, and sweets.
History
The region of Kolkata has been inhabited for over two millennia, as evidenced by archaeological excavations at Chandraketugarh.
The Colonial Era
In 1690, Job Charnock, an administrator with the English East India Company, established a trading post in the area, consolidating three existing villages: Sutanuti, Gobindapur, and Kalikata. The name “Calcutta” was an anglicized version of Kalikata.
Following the East India Company’s victory at the Battle of Plassey (1757) against Nawab Siraj-ud-Daulah, the British took complete control of Bengal and declared Calcutta the capital of British India in 1772. The city underwent rapid expansion, with the construction of grand neo-classical buildings, earning it the nickname “City of Palaces.”
Architecture and Key Landmarks
Kolkata is famous for its unique blend of grand British colonial structures and traditional zamindari mansions.
1. Victoria Memorial
A massive white Makrana marble monument constructed between 1906 and 1921, dedicated to the memory of Queen Victoria. Designed by Sir William Emerson, it combines British architectural styles with Mughal, Deccani, and Islamic elements, and is surrounded by lush manicured gardens.
2. Howrah Bridge (Rabindra Setu)
A massive suspended-span cantilever bridge that spans the Hooghly River, connecting Kolkata with its twin city, Howrah. Opened in 1943, it does not have any pillars in the riverbed and is one of the busiest bridges in the world, carrying over 100,000 vehicles and countless pedestrians daily.
3. Dakshineswar Kali Temple
Located on the banks of the Hooghly River, this temple complex was built in 1855 by philanthropist Rani Rashmoni. It is globally famous as the home of the 19th-century mystic saint Ramakrishna Paramahansa, who served as the chief priest here.
Culture and Festivities
Kolkata is renowned for its intense intellectual and cultural life. It has produced several Nobel laureates (including Rabindranath Tagore, C.V. Raman, Mother Teresa, and Amartya Sen).
Durga Puja
The biggest festival in Kolkata is Durga Puja, celebrated in autumn. During this five-day festival, the entire city transforms into an open-air art gallery, with thousands of elaborately decorated temporary temples called pandals housing clay idols of the Goddess Durga. In 2021, UNESCO inscribed Kolkata’s Durga Puja on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Sweet Culinary Heritage
Kolkata is synonymous with delectable milk-based sweets, most notably:
- Rosogolla: Soft, spongy balls of chhena (cottage cheese) cooked in light sugar syrup, which received a GI tag in 2017.
- Sandesh: Elaborate dry sweets made of sweetened chhena.
- Misti Doi: A rich, sweetened yogurt slowly fermented in clay pots.